Missouri’s Second Attempt at Complete Legalization of Cannabis

Wednesday, November 23, 2016 7:03

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As many of my regular readers know, last year was a major mind changer for me on cannabis. I’d always been against the War on Drugs for civil liberties issues and the insane asset seizures, and I knew cannabis was helpful for cancer pains and nausea, as well as epileptic seizures, but I had no idea how helpful it is for so many health issues that people face on a regular basis. The fact that this plant is illegal and actually an intolerable violation of human rights. (You can read my first article about some of the things I learned, that has tons of links in it here.)

I have done a great amount of research on cannabis, and the things I’ve discovered put me into the position of simply being incapable of righteously allowing access to this plant to be regulated and controlled by either bureaucrats or the medical industry. Big Pharma has a stranglehold on this nation, and Mega Ag (which has GAG in it) has a stranglehold on our nutrition. Don’t forget that the GMO companies are owned by pharmaceutical companies. One makes people sick and the other makes medications to address the symptoms. A marriage made in Hell. It’s no wonder that we, as a nation, are sick, tired, overweight, depressed, and riddled with auto-immune dysfunction.

We get fed garbage, loaded up with toxic vaccines, indoctrinated to be dependent upon “doctors” to tell us what to do and what to eat when they spend one semester in one class on nutrition. Too many of our supplements are artificial, too much of our food is riddled with herbicides and pesticides, and only two percent of the population is engaged in agriculture full time. We take pills to treat symptoms that then result in more pills needed to address the side effects of the original pill. It’s a recipe for disaster, and we are on the verge of being incapable of pulling out of it.

So enough of stating the obvious! It’s time for people to reclaim their rights to LIFE and liberty. Which leads directly to what many see as a complete panacea for virtually every ill. I don’t share that viewpoint, but it’s close.

As I see it, there is almost always about 10% of the population that doesn’t tolerate things that are good for the vast majority of people. So I don’t ascribe to the “cannabis is good for everyone, all the time” camp. I ascribe to the “cannabis is good for almost everyone a lot of the time” camp. It is clear though, that cannabis has never killed anyone through overdose. So, compared to every pharmaceutical, it has an unimpeachable record of safety.

At any rate, the newest petition for cannabis in Missouri looks like it might actually have the infrastructure and organization to deliver a positive outcome for health freedom in the state. Here is an article on the initiative, and you can go to the group’s website here. It is currently rather bare bones, but I am hoping it gets fleshed out with more informative links as time progresses.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — There’s an organized effort to legalize recreational marijuana in Missouri. The Secretary of State’s office has received an initiative petition to place the issue before voters.

The Political Action Committee “Total Legalization” plans to start circulating a petition to gather required signatures in January.

Organizer Charles Jones was involved in a similar effort several years ago which failed because it failed to include a minimum age limit. He says interest waned while signatures were sought for the Missouri Cannabis Restoration and Protection Act which was filed in late 2014.

Jones is now more optimistic. “It’s just going to take a little bit of time and effort” said Jones. “I think we can make it happen. We’ve put together a team and a foundation that, with the right funds, we can definitely get this on the ballot in 2018.”

Jones claims the committee has “designated leaders” in all eight congressional districts, while there’s a plan to have county organizers in all 114 counties. To successfully reach the ballot, a petition must be signed by eight percent of legal voters in any six of the eight congressional districts.

With results from the latest election in, Jones thinks the atmosphere surrounding recreational use of marijuana is changing quickly as other states take steps to legalize it. “There is no sense in a person going to jail for a non-violent, victim less crime for possession of cannabis. That’s just the craziest thing in the world.”

After this month’s election, recreational marijuana is currently, or will soon be legal in seven states and Washington D.C. If it ends up going to a public vote in Missouri, it’s expected to draw strong opposition from a number of groups, including law enforcement officials.

Total Legalization claims to be in good standing with the Missouri Ethics Commission. On its website, the group state’s it “registered as a Political Action Committee with the purpose of changing cannabis laws and educating the public about the cannabis plant”.

Jones say hemp oil from the plant alone could have a major impact on the state’s agricultural industry. “Hemp seed oil as of May 2014 was 30 dollars a gallon. That’s $9,000 an acre. There is no other crop that is out there that’s anywhere close to bringing in this kind of money. That’s just off of the oil that a less than average yield would bring.”

Jones claims the legalization of marijuana in other states has opened the door for widespread testing to find benefits from cannabis plants. He notes Total Legalization’s three board members and ten advisers work on a volunteer basis with no financial compensation. The organization is seeking donations through its website.